A. Budget and Funding

Owned by David Mills
Last updated: Apr 08, 2019

  1. Budget preparation (GUF process)

  2. UConn Foundation/Fund Raising

  3. Seeking additional funds

    1. Grants

    2. Exhibitions

    3. Miscellaneous

  4. Adjustments/Creativity/Savings

Budget Overview:

Operational funding for the UCMB comes from the General University Fee (GUF). The UCMB is a Tier one organization and its funding is determined each year by the GUF Committee. The Director prepares the budget with the aid of SFA Financial Staff (Colleen Bridgeman, Mel Chebro, and James      . Faculty positions come are funded through the Music Department. The Administrative Assistant position is funded by through GUF. The Music Department also supplies basic office function and support.  Additional support comes from the fund raising by the UConn Foundation in various accounts for needs beyond normal yearly operation. Band post-season events are funded by the Division of Athletics or other University sources. Students pay for part of the annual Band Banquet otherwise bear no expense for band membership.

Budget Preparation: GUF process

Since 2006, Each Fall the UCMB submits its budget request to the GUF Committee. A list of questions about the band activities and student involvement in the program provide basic background to for the GUF Committee about the band. Current expenses are detailed and any increases to expenses or additional bugetary items are presented and justified. The UCMB budget is prepared in the School of Fine Arts Business Office by the UCMB Director, SFA business officers, and Assistant Dean along with the input of the Music Department Chairman and Dean of the School of Arts.The Committee examines the budget request and a public meeting is held in which the UCMB Director and Business Office personnel answer any questions from the members of the GUF Committee. The GUF Committee then considers whether to approve or suggest changes before sending the budget on the the Board of Trustees for final approval. 

GUF Service Fee Questions

UConn Foundation 

List Funds

Additional Funds

Student Fund Raising/Ignite and misc. fund raising. 

Adjustments/Creativity/Savings

The primary annual expenses of the band are Preseason Housing, Preseason Meals, Transportation to Football, Basketball, and Hockey GamesGames and Performances, Meals for Students at Performances, Auxiliary Staff (percussion and color guard, drill writer),  uniform apparel, equipment maintenance and repair, miscellaneous rehearsal equipment and supplies, music licensing and arranging costs, published music. These costs are estimated for budget purposes but whenever expenses in these areas can be reduced more money can be made available for Capital items (instruments, uniforms, and vehicles) Here are some of the Cost reducing efforts that make our budget go further: 

Meals:

  • Pre Season Pizza Nights: Normal dinner in the cafeteria runs about $16 per member (about $5160) For unlimited pizza, salad desert, and fountain drinks we pay about $2250--a nearly $3000 savings. (2 nights makes the savings $6000 (almost enough to buy a Sousaphone!)
  • Pre-Season On the Town: Similar to above, students receive $10 for lunch and are go with their section or "Big Buddies" to local eateries. This saves about $2000. With two meals that makes a savings of ($4000) Students love gettin out on their own, new members like getting to explore downtown with the older members.
  • Game-Day Meals: great savings have been made possible by UConn Food Services by preparing travel meals for the entire band. The band simply has to pay for meals for students not on a meal plan.

Equipment Maintenance

  • Drum line maintenance sessions: twice a year the drum line comes together to disassemble all drums in use, clean shells and hardware, lubricate appropriate parts, install heads. Most hardware parts are supplies free of charge from Yamaha. (thousands of dollars saved in professional maintenance and increased 

  • Brass Cleaning Day:  Each May for the last 20 years all university owned brass instruments are cleaned and reconditioned in a massive process through the efforts of 30+/- volunteers, the directors and staff. 32 trombones 25 baritones, 32 mellophones, 22 Sousaphones are disassembled, bathed, slides and valves removed and lubricated, reassembled, and shined. An on-site repairman performs whatever small repairs and instruments with other repair needs are marked and set aside for transport to the repair shop. Cases are cleaned and vacuumed. Trucks are thoroughly cleaned out. Instruments are re-loaded and returned to storage ready to be issued in the Fall. The event has been held at the directors house utilizing garage, driveway, and backyard, water and hoses, vacuums, and supportive equipment and tools. The day is physically demanding and requires diligent efficient work from many volunteers with organizational management by directors. Food is provided throughout the day to keep workers happy, well-fed, and enthusiastic. (Estimated savings is somewhere around $25000 in annual repair/maintenance costs and many more thousands in prolonging the life of the instruments) 


Uniform Care/distribution/maintenance:

  • Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma supply all labor in preparing, distributing, altering pant length, maintaining, and collecting uniforms. Countless hours of labor are freely given by the Brothers and Sisters to accomplish this huge task. These services would normally run about $100 per uniform for professional maintenance a $32,500 savings. 

Arranging and Drill Writing:

  • About half the costs of arrangements and drill design and charting are saved through the efforts of our directors performing this duties rather than contracting others.